Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has commended Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State for prioritising legal education through sustained investment in the training and development of young lawyers.
A statement issued by the Media Coordinator/Liaison Office of the Yobe SSG, Ibrahim Baba Saleh said Governor Yusuf gave the commendation while declaring open the Second Annual Summit of the Arewa Young Lawyers’ Forum, held at the Amani Event Centre in Kano, last week.
He said Yobe State had distinguished itself in promoting legal education by sponsoring hundreds of law graduates through the Nigerian Law School and providing them with the support required to complete their studies successfully.
“Yobe State has sponsored and distributed laptops to over 700 law graduates. On that basis, Yobe State is number one, while Kano is following Yobe. Congratulations to the Government and people of Yobe State,” Governor Yusuf said.
The commendation followed a presentation by the Acting Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Dr. Mohammed Goje, who highlighted Governor Buni’s investments in legal education since assuming office in 2019.
According to Dr. Goje, the Buni administration has sponsored 714 law graduates through the Nigerian Law School, with all of them successfully called to the Nigerian Bar.
“While coming here, I decided to look at the dashboard of Yobe State to assess what His Excellency, my principal, has done for the legal profession since assuming office.
“I discovered that from 2019 to date, Governor Mai Mala Buni has sponsored and fully paid the tuition fees of 714 law graduates, all of whom have now been called to the Nigerian Bar,” he said.
Dr. Goje added that, beyond paying their Law School tuition, the state government provided each beneficiary with a laptop computer and financial support throughout their academic programme.
“Every law student, from Year One to graduation, received financial support of not less than N450,000, in addition to a laptop and full payment of Law School fees. Based on these records, I strongly believe Governor Mai Mala Buni is one of the highest contributors to the legal profession in Nigeria,” he said.
The summit, themed “Taking a Stand,” brought together young legal practitioners, senior members of the Bar, policymakers and other stakeholders from across Northern Nigeria to deliberate on contemporary issues affecting the legal profession and national development.